The Wedding
by AnnCarter
Summary: Cuddy is getting married. Or is she? Post finale, Huddy fic. Includes a bit of lovely Rachel, too.


**Name:** The Wedding.

**Writer:** Ann.

**Rating: **PG13.

**Fandom:** House.

**Pairing: **Huddy.

**Timeline:** Post finale.

**Summary:** Cuddy's getting married. Or is she?

**Others:** I know, I know. Not my best. But I just felt like writing it, the first time in a week.

**All rights reserved to FOX, the creators and the studio. I absolutely don't own House.**

* * *

She dreamed about that day for longer than she'd hoped she would. In her mind it was always a glamorous event, in a beautifully decorated parlor, with her wearing a beautiful white gown and a man in a suit by her side. There were guests, including her sister and mother, who finally seemed to be treating her softly.

Not once in her life she thought it will be interrupted the way it was.

* * *

She was standing in front of the mirror in her house, looking at herself. The character she saw was a middle-aged woman, with beautiful dark hair and green eyes sparkling with happiness. In the simple white dress she wore there was not one person who could say she wasn't one of the most beautiful women in the world.

"You look beautiful."

Lisa turned around and found herself looking into Arlene's eyes. Her mother seemed almost as happy as she was. Her eyes were shining with pride. Lisa could not help but smile at this sight. She has been working so hard to make her mother proud of her, and every time her mother looked at her that way was another great moment in her life.

"He's a good man," her first bridesmaid, Julia, who happened to be her sister, said while finishing brushing her hair, "And he loves you. He'll make a great father for Rachel."

"He is," Lisa agreed, looking at her younger sister. Then she turned back to the mirror, again looking at herself silently. She was doing one of the biggest steps she's ever made- this would be her last day as an unmarried woman. As of this evening, she'll be Mrs. Barrett.

* * *

"Lisa."

She smiled at the man standing in front of her, her green eyes meeting his chocolate brown eyes. The man in the suit took her hand and then spun her around, smiling at her warmly.

"You look beautiful." He said, his eyes warm and filled with emotions.

She smiled back at him, a bright, happy smile. "Thank you, James," She said. He held her hands between his own, squeezing it slightly. "And thank you for being here with me." She added, her voice low and warm.

He released her hands and took her arm with his. She grabbed her flowers, and they slowly walked towards the door, both looking forward. They stopped at the door, looking at Rachel, who was walking towards the Rabi, leaving flowers on the road behind her. She was smiling. Lisa smiled as well, looking at her daughter in love. Rachel was the dearest human being to her, and she always liked seeing her happy. Especially when she was happy as well.

They watched as Jerry walked towards the hupa. Then, after he stopped, everyone turned towards the door, waiting for her arrival. Lisa looked at Wilson and then turned to Arlene, who was standing by her other side. Her mother nodded briefly, encouraging her to move on. And so she walked.

Walking towards Jerry seemed like a dream to her. She barely felt it when her mother and friend walked her towards him. She barely felt the floor underneath her and the eyes looking at her expectedly. It all seemed like a dream, too good for her to be able to believe in.

"You're gorgeous," Jerry said simply when she stopped beside him. From the corner of her eye she could see her mother and James walking back to a spot near the hupa, from which they could see everything going on but would not be too far away.

"You look good too," She replied as quietly before turning to face the Rabi.

Seeing they were ready, he spoke. "We have gathered here-"

"Stop."

Lisa froze. It was a voice she hasn't heard in about two years, a voice she tried to pretend she didn't miss. It seemed to her like forever before she turned around, as slowly as she could, and found herself facing a blue-eyed man slightly older than her. He was holding a paper, but other than that, nothing. She almost turned to look around her for his cane, before she realized he didn't bring it with him.

"You're beautiful," He said quietly, not coming any closer. She could hear the security guys outside, looking for him. She wasn't surprised; it wasn't the first time he managed to break into places where he was unwanted. "All the things I said… It's nothing. Nothing compares to this."

She couldn't speak. She just stared at him, stared at the face she secretly missed, meeting the blue eyes that now showed how vulnerable and truthful he was. It was an expression she has rarely seen on his face, and she could still remember the last time he looked that way, after pinning her to the wall in response to her question.

_"I feel hurt"._

She could sense her mother moving behind her and tried to speak, but couldn't. But Wilson could. And he did. "House? What are you doing here?" He asked, sounding as surprised as she was. She wasn't sure whether or not to believe him.

"I was wrong." He replied simply. "I shouldn't have done what I did. I made a mistake, one that cost me a lot. More than I thought it would. But when I saw you with him…" He seemed lost, and she found herself stepping forward, towards him. "You said you didn't date anyone since me."

"I didn't," She whispered, stopping after two steps. "I only did it after we talked. I-" Then, as a part of her realized what she was saying, she cut herself off, an angry tone now sounding clearly in her voice. "You were the one who got married to a hooker right after we broke up! You were the one using me feeling for you to make your life supposedly better! You-"

"I missed that." He whispered, cutting her off. He clearly didn't mean for anyone to hear it, but she did, and she stopped, looking at him in amazement.

"You missed me yelling at you?" She asked, unable to believe. When he didn't answer she crossed her arms over her chest, showing him how impatient she is. She needed that answer.

"Foreman's not the same," He said, and for a moment it felt like the House she knew. "He preferred to threaten me with jail over yelling at me when I don't do my job." She nearly smiled. Then, remembering he was interrupting her wedding and what he did to her the last time she saw him, she opened her mouth to yell at him again. He stopped her when he continued his story. "I told you the truth. I was hurt. I _am_ hurt. I can't... I can't see you with him," He gestured at Jerry, still looking deeply into her eyes.

"House," She tried to be as gentle as possible. "It's over. You're married. You crashed into my house! I'm getting married. And this time I'm not leaving him for you," She added, remembering the last time she told him she was getting married. Lucas… He was great. And if it wasn't for House, he may have been her groom that night. But that's where it all started- her leaving Lucas for House. She promised herself it would never happen again. "It's over."

"I know." His voice was quiet, accepting. He truly knew there was nothing for him to do. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. And that I love you."

She stared at him, unsure as to how to react to his last announcement. Once again, James did it for her. "I think we'd better talk about it someplace else," He suggested, his voice as calm and reasonable as always. She nodded, turning towards her dressing room. She forgot her groom, forgot the Rabi and the guests waiting. Once again, hers and House's drama filled her mind.

James was the last to walk in. He closed the door behind him, and then sat down on one of the chairs in the room. Lisa and House followed, looking at each other. Eventually they both turned to Wilson, both unsure as to what they were doing there.

"I think you need to talk," He said.

"We saw how well that worked the last time," House commented, as cynical as ever. "In case you don't remember, I drove my car into her house."

Wilson gave him a silencing look. "There will be no house-destroying-revenge-actions this time," he said. "But clearly the two of you need to work this out before you're getting married," He added. Turning to Lisa, he said, "Don't do what House did."

She held his gaze for a moment before nodding. "Fine. Go ahead, talk."

Wilson shook his head. "No, no, no. I'm not the one who's doing the talking. You are," He said, gesturing at the two sitting in front of him. "The idea in you having a discussion is that _you_ will do the talking, not me."

For a moment it seemed as if she would object, but then she turned to House. It took her a while before she pulled herself together and slowly started talking. "You shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have done any of the things you did after I broke up with you. Those were all mistakes."

"I know."

"I made mistakes too," She admitted, ignoring what he said. "I told you I didn't want you to change. I told you I love you because of who you are. A brilliant, irresponsible son of a bitch."

"And you still dumped me when I couldn't handle," He spoke quietly.

"I know. I love you." She didn't even notice she was talking in present tense. "But I couldn't be with you. Rachel needs to have a father, and I need a supporting boyfriend. What you tried to do… I appreciate it. But starting a relationship with you was a bad idea."

"I know." He looked down for a moment, and then looked up at her again, his crystal blue eyes meeting her green ones. "I wasn't ready. I don't… I don't know if I'll ever be ready. But with Stacy being married and you on the way there… I suppose I'll never find out."

"I'm sorry, Greg," She said quietly, finally having enough courage to say his first name, to make it truly personal. "I really am. But this is over."

He nodded as he got up. "Yeah. It is."

As she got up he opened the door, turning to leave. He was stopped by a young girl who ran towards him, hugging his legs when she saw him. "Daddy!" She cried, happiness in her voice.

House smiled down at her, even though both James and Lisa noticed it was a tired one. "Hi, Rachel," He said, releasing her hands so he can kneel in front of her. "How are ya?"

She smiled with pleasure, wrapping her hands around his neck. "When mommy told me you left us I didn't believe her. I knew you'll come back." Leaving House, she looked up at her mother. "House is coming back, right?" She asked, hopeful. "He's going to marry you instead of Jerry, right?"

Lisa kneeled by House's side, looking into her daughter's eyes. "House was just leaving, darling," She said softly, trying to soften the blow. She knew how much her girl loved House. "But even if he wasn't, we couldn't get married. He's not Jewish."

"Actually," House finally handed her the paper he was still holding. "I am now. Just like you and Wilson. Well, technically, I still don't believe in God, but as of yesterday I'm Jewish. I thought… you'd be happy to hear it." He shrugged.

But she didn't listen. All she could do was read and reread the paper, shocked. She knew House didn't believe in God and will probably never believe, but knowing he did something like that for her… She never thought something like that will happen. Noticing the name on it, Greg Leon, she nearly smiled. Maybe it wasn't his real name – which made sense to her, considering his "death", but it was still true.

"… And so, even though your mother still loves me," She heard the ending of House's sentence, "we won't get married. Even if I want that."

"What?"

"You said that a few minutes ago. Something like, 'I know. I love you'," He replied in his slightly cynical tone. "Or am I hallucinating again?"

"House." It was Wilson's voice, slightly warning.

House looked away for a moment before looking at Lisa again. "I am who I am," He said simply. "But I've changed. After Wilson will be gone…" The pain in his eyes showed them just how much he cared for his best friend. "I will be able to be there for you. I'm dead, anyway," He murmured. "It'll be like marrying another man."

Lisa stood up, not even caring that once again everybody was looking at them. "House… Was that a proposal?" She asked, again unable to believe. She wasn't sure who he was talking to, her or Rachel, but she couldn't help but be amazed. The House she knew was different. He certainly wouldn't destroy any chance he has for life in order to be with Wilson for the rest of his life. And there was no way he'd propose anyone.

But there he was, even though not saying it clearly, practically asking her to marry him.

He got up as well, glancing at Wilson for a moment. The other man gave him a short, barely seen nod, and then he turned back to her, his blue eyes serious. "I know you may not believe me. Especially after all I've done to you. Like I said… I did horrible things. And even after we started dating I've done to you some bad things. But now I've changed. I really have."

She stared at him for a moment before turning to Wilson. "Did you get him to do that?" She demanded to know.

Wilson seemed slightly uneasy. "Well… I may have suggested something… but I definitely didn't tell him to propose," He added quickly, seeing Lisa's face darkening. "I didn't think he can do something like that. And _don't_ say it," He added as House's mouth opened.

House's mouth was still opened for a moment, but then he nodded slightly, closing it. "You're right," He said eventually. "But as you know… I've changed."

She could hear House and Wilson continue their talk, but she no longer listened. Thinking about House as a boyfriend seemed insane and intolerable in that moment. So House as a husband and Rachel's father? She knew her daughter loved him, but during the time he was part of their little family, he barely did any good to her. As she once told James, she would never be able to rely on him the way a mother should.

"No. We tried it before. It didn't work." She tried to sound decisive, even though the truth was she was completely unsure about what she was doing. Ever since they met, a part of her always wanted House. Even though at first she'd thought she'd imagined it, she slowly came to realize that there really is something between her and Gregory House. She was attracted to Gregory House. She loved Gregory House. And she couldn't escape it, no matter what she tried to do.

"Okay."

"What… That's it?" James sounded surprised.

"She said it's over. Then it's over," House replied shortly as he turned away. "Nothing I can do to change her mind. You know her as well as I do," He added, stopping away. "Once again… nothing I can do."

Seeing him that way threw her back into an emotional rollercoaster she hasn't experienced since they broke up. She loved him. Even after everything he did to her, she still loved him. She was mad at him, she still wanted to kill him, but she also loved him. And that hasn't changed.

"House…"

He stopped. "Yeah?"

"Don't go."

He turned back to her. "You sure?" He asked, his eyes searching for the truth in her eyes, wanting to make sure she really does mean it and doesn't say it out of pity. But she finally realized she loved him, and nothing in the world could change it. And when he saw that he immediately limped towards her, a hopeful look in her eyes. She handed James the flowers she forgot she was holding and met him midway. He looked down at her for a moment before kissing her gently, just like that night she broke up with Lucas. His arms held her close to him while his tongue danced in her mouth and they tasted each other again.

A sound of someone coughing brought them back to the reality. They both turned to the audience and the groom, who was looking grimly at the whole scene. Stepping forward, Arlene was the first to speak.

"So I take it you're coming back together again," She said.

Glancing at House, Lisa nodded. "Yes," She said, her hand finding House's. "Five months from now, we are."


End file.
